Many Christians fail to understand the unique role that Israel has according to God’s sovereign choice. God spoke through Moses concerning Israel, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deut. 7:6). The proof of this incredible statement is obvious by how Israel was used of God in the writing of the Scriptures, and most importantly in giving us Christ our Lord. The Lord Jesus stated in speaking to the Samaritan woman, “Salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). This relationship is ongoing in the many promises that God has made to Israel. God has repeatedly promised a future for them. This promise is most remarkable considering how they have been repeatedly forced from their land and homes and yet have returned to rebuild and continue. In their most recent history, the nation was destroyed for nearly 2000 years. The people of Israel were crushed by Rome in 70 AD, and a remnant scattered throughout the then world. For hundreds of years, they sought to intermingle with Gentile nations while at the same time remaining mostly separate and distinct in their ethnicity and religious practices. Then in what can only be described as miraculous, they through the conscience of the mass murders of the holocaust, were after World War II given a portion of their homeland once again. Since becoming a nation in 1948, they have turned what was a desert and barren land, into a beautiful and prosperous nation. 

The history of Israel is marked by terrible struggles yet incredible privileges. They were and are the only people to have Jehovah, the only true God, as their King. Paul addresses the advantages of Israel in Romans 9 verses 4 and 5, “To whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever.” This is spoken by Paul in the present tense even when at the time it was written, they had rejected their Messiah and murdered Him, yet Paul in this same section writes that God has for them a promised future (Rom. 11:25-26). This promised future was initially given to Abraham and then built upon in later prophecy. Christ Himself will reign from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-4). God promised King David that his descendant would rule on an eternal throne (2 Sam. 7:12-13). In Jeremiah 33 verse 25-26, written at a time of God’s chastening of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, if My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” It is revealing that even in the final new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21-22), the eternal city is called the “New Jerusalem.”

For all the true people of God – those born of God by His grace, there should be no antisemitism. The unique role that God gave Israel should be recognized and appreciated. We love what and who God has chosen to particularly love. God placed His affection in a unique way upon Israel. That does not mean every Jew will be saved, but it does mean that the elect Jews have a special role. In fact, those of us who are Gentiles are said to be grafted-in to the special promises God has in store for the elect of Israel (Rom. 11:17). The world, which is under the influence of Satan, naturally hates the Jewish people. There is no reasonable explanation for the prominence of such hatred. Yet it rises to neurotic proportions by the nations practicing Islam. They are willing and do spend their resources on promoting hate and building weaponry with the committed intention for Israel’s annihilation. For many it is the driving motivation of their very existence. The Bible alone gives clear understanding of the source of this hatred. Why are these dear people so hated? They are hated by the evil and driving direction of Satan’s influence upon the unsaved world. This is the only explanation. At the same time Israel’s ability to survive against the incessant massive effort of the surrounding nations can only be attributed to God. Israel is far outnumbered. Israel is tiny and surrounded, while the numbers of people and their resources seeking Israel’s destruction is extreme. Yet, even today, who is winning the current war against them? Israel is winning skirmish after skirmish and situation after situation. God has told us in advance this would be true in the latter days. Israel’s life of constant friction with a world dominated by Satan and evil will continue and they will ultimately be surrounded for destruction by the coming antichrist, but Christ Himself will return to save Israel and establish His kingdom (Zech. 14:3).

I am writing this on October 7^th. It was one year ago that Hamas brutally attacked and killed more than 1200 Jewish civilians while taking more than 250 as hostages. It has been a very difficult year for Israel, and yet anyone can see the hand of God protecting a people whom the Scripture says will, “Look upon Him whom they pierced and mourn for Him” (Zech. 12:10). They will soon come to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah. God has a future for them. This is the basis of my personal love and concern for Israel and the people of Israel. I hope you have the same mindset. God told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you” (Gen. 12:3). The promises of Scripture tell us they will be our eternal brethren. Keep your eye upon what God is doing with them and pray for them. God’s pre-written history of the world involves Israel as a type of timepiece displaying the timing of God’s promises. We who have God’s Word are privileged to have this insight. We know the rest of the story. Praise God who has all history and the future in His glorious hands!